How do people use reviews?

Reviews of Adventure games are very valuable for learning about the many games out there. How much do people rely on reviews to choose what games to buy and play?

Reviews almost never sway me in either direction, only maybe if there is some really bad, bad stuff in multiple reviews about a game.

I appreciate people making the effort and taking the time to provide reviews because they can give me the “essence” of a game - even though they might not actually affect my eventual decision to buy or not buy the game 😊

Thanks for those comments! I was wondering how many people base their game buying on particular reviews.

I write them so perhaps factor that into my response but I do take reviews into account when deciding whether or not to buy a game. They might also make the difference between buy now or wait until the price drops.

I don't need to read reviews about games from certain favorite developers or game designers before a purchase, but will read them out of interest. But I approach games from unknown developers cautiously, since there are game elements that will make the game play less enjoyable for me (poor voice acting, lack of puzzles and interaction, action elements, RPG elements, platformers, isometric perspective, etc).

Press releases and trailers from the publisher will not always reveal things that are warning signs for me, so a good review is greatly appreciated. Every reviewer will have their own subjective take on the game, but the basics of the story, puzzles and game play are usually clearly conveyed.

I definitely use "official" game reviews to influence my purchases of games I am not familiar with. For instance, I would never have gotten Life of Delta if I hadn't read flotsam's review of the game. I generally don't use reviews by random players except to get a general idea of a game.

As ergggo says,

This is why flotsam is my favorite reviewer!

While a reviewer's opinion can make me interested in a game, I mostly read reviews for the objective facts: Can you save the game anywhere? Do you have to use a cumbersome combination of mouse and keyboard? Does it take 7 mouse clicks to access a single inventory item?

Interesting fact: While I occasionally get an excellent review of any of my games on a major adventure gaming site, it doesn't affect sales at all.

If in the first sentence they use the word "short". I most likely will skip it.

Yes, flotsam is one of my favorite reviewers and goes along with Mikael said regarding if the game can be saved often by the player, is the game "A point and click game, my favorite type" is the game playable by Only by using keyboard or a controller, not so good, and flotsam gives these details while reviewing a game which is important to know before buying a game, at least for Moi.

I look at the reviews, look at what other players are saying, especially those that I have found have similar taste to my own. I also watch the trailers . This gives me a chance to know a little bit more about a game and if I might like it. Now if it is a game series... such as Carol Reed games I have no need to look at anything....

Yeah, sometimes i don't read the reviews until after I've played the game.

Reviews do not sway me one way or the other to get a game unless they are not very good. The title, tags, videos, pics and description does that for me, maybe scanning a walkthrough or two depending

I'll check reviews depending on what their ratings are just to see what's going on. If it is a game I want from a well known Developer/Publisher that has released good games I will usually just get the game without looking at reviews, Firmament and Amnesia's for example. I also like check out YouTube reviews. You get to see some gameplay during the review which is nice. I will also check out the Discussion Boards if I find a number of reviews having same issues to see what the Dev's have to say. They usually respond fairly quick. I will also check out the "Related News" to a game to see if issues might have an update and if so I will watch reviews to see if they improve before I get it. I do all this only if it is a game I would like to get when reviews are so so

There was this one game that I was gonna get on it's release, Blade Runner Enhanced, and am glade I didn't. Right off the bat the game was getting bad reviews and still does. This is one case reviews stopped a purchase

EDIT: I would like to add that I too read all flotsam's reviews. Although very good reviews covering many aspects of a game they have not swayed me one way or the other. For me flotsam's reviews carry a lot of interesting info, a story about a game's play so well done

I do not decide whether to buy a game or not based on reviewers input. I look at reviews only to see how the game looks in respects of the graphics particularly. If it looks cartoonish, I won't go any further. If it has good visual appeal - that would draw me to a closer look.

I also look at whether the game can be played with a mouse or do I need 2 more hands to work a keyboard or keyboard/mouse combo.

There are certain developers like MDNA and Microids for example, which I buy just based on my past experiences with them.

I read reviewers just to get the mechanics of a game only.

"There was this one game that I was gonna get on it's release, Blade Runner Enhanced, and am glade I didn't. Right off the bat the game was getting bad reviews and still does. This is one case reviews stopped a purchase"

Well I got and enjoyed quite a "lot" of that game.
And whilst it was maybe not the best experience ever, I didn't feel it was as bad as some folk actually said it was !!

Some of my favourite games I might never have played if I had read the reviews first. So now I look at reviews for the objective info in them.

Hi Mad,

Glad you enjoyed Blade Runner Enhanced. The original was one of my favorites. Checking recent reviews from both GOG and Steam, after the latest update, it seems some are still not happy with it saying still buggy, not able to finish, a "demake". It is reviews like this one, after the last update, that keep me from having any interest in getting BR. I wish it were different. This is one time reviews played a part in me making a decision whether or not to get the game

Were you able to finish the game Mad?

*****

Did anyone else play this "enhanced edition"? Any thoughts on BRE, just curious.....

I haven't finished it yet, Orion, even though it's been on my computer for a long time

But not because I went "off" it for any reason .... I just got embroiled in other stuff

I'm very naughty that way !!

I know what you mean Mad, it happens to me every day, not so much being naughty but getting broiled I mean embroiled. Have a good eve

You, too, Orion